The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, March 07, 1917, LAST EDITION, Image 11

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

yesterday and pounded a homer withtwo on to beat Vernon. Wortmanhad some major experience last, season and also played in a Class AAminor, while Wolfe's experience islimited to work with Duluth.Wolfe, however, should be retained in a utility role if he continuesto deliver. A young infielder of ability hanging around to relieve awounded regular would be of immeasurable help to the North Siders.Rollie Zeider and Otto Knabe werethe secondary defense men last year.Knabe has been released, as he wastoo old.Zeider knows all there is to knowabout baseball, but Rollie is no longer a youthful prodigy, he is not astrong hitter and could well be replaced as first relief man by ayounger athlete. In any event, it isnot probable that Zeider will be disposed of, for his experience shouldbe a big help in teaching Wortmanand Wolfe the fine points of infielding. Fred Mitchell is enthusiastic aboutthe condition of Jim Vaughn andClaude Hendrix, and he has reasonto be. Both of these pitchers aretaking their work seriously and arelaboring hard to' be in prime condition for the opening of the season.Each is constructed on iron manlines, and between them should beable to pitch 70 games in a seasonwithout fatigue. And of that 70 theyshould turn in 50 victories. If Mitchcan dig up pitchers to get 45 morewins he will have nothing to worryover.Despite the vaunted strength ofthe Giants, the National league racethis season will be an open affair andis free to the majority of the field.The Cubs are not marvelous on paper, but they are by no means hopeless, and this is no time to be counting them out of the reckoning.There have been teams of all starsbefore, teams that from their lineups should have walked all over theopposition roughshod, but historyshows they have fallen down moreoften than they have delivered. Theteam that wins is the real team, thewell-balanced combination that sinksindividual work for the common goodand works aS a whole. If Mitchellcan put that spirit into his club andteach them that style of baseball, hewill cause some commotion fromApril 11 to the first week in October.Battling Levinsky gave Jack Moran a sound thrashing at St. Louis,the Springfield man narrowly escaping a knockout.Johnny Dundee was the victor overJimmy Duffy in ten rounds at NewYork, but was forced to travel at topspeed to land in front. Both fighterswere badly tired at the finish becauseof the hot pace that was setMordecai Brown has signed withJoe Tinker's Columbus team andwill make the spring training trip.Brownie will be Joe's lieutenant incharge of the pitchers.Basketball ScoresI Crane heavies 19, Schurz 10.Lane heavies 25, Waller 14.Crane lights 21, Phillips 6.Bowen 'lights 23, Englewood 14.Hyde Park bantams 24, Tilden 4.Medill bantams 22, Phillips 4.Chicago Latin 26, Parker 17.Wisconsin 29, Indiana 14.Sinai girls 12, Hebrew Inst. 1.St. Rita lights 24, De Paul 6.Bobby McLean, former amateurice skating champion, is on the trailof Oscar Mathiesen, Norwegianchamp, now in Minneapolis. Bobby,seeking a chance to gain the world'sprofessional title, last night sent JackNorfolk, his present manager, toMinneapolis in an effort to getMathiesen to agree, to a series of 15races to decide the title.Bobby wants five races held inMinneapolis, five in Chicago at thenew Upper Broadway arena, and fivein St Louis. Bobby says the ownersof the rinks will give them 65 percent of the gross gate receipts andthat he is willing to split this 60-40,